Coleus plant named ‘UF17-64-1’

ABSTRACT

‘UF17-64-1’ is a new coleus plant with a combination of novel characteristics which include vigorous compact mounded growth habit, excellent heat tolerance, and consistent crimson foliage. It has superior stability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions, maintaining stable color in all conditions. ‘UF17-64-1’ has not been observed to produce flowers in any trial we have conducted to date, so it has long season performance as an annual plant in the landscape until late Fall.

Genus and species: Plectranthus scutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: The present disclosure relates to coleus cultivar‘UF17-64-1’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

Coleus (previously Solenostemon scutellarioides, now Plectranthusscutellarioides) plants are used as annual bedding plants for thelandscape and mixed containers in summer gardens. Coleus plants arepopular to commercial growers and landscapers because they are easy topropagate and provide fast and reliable attractive foliage color thatmakes their businesses profitable. Coleus plants are also popular withhome gardeners because they are easy to grow in both full sun andpartial shade conditions, and require less maintenance than many otherannual garden plants. From the breeder perspective, there is muchgenotypic variability in coleus because it is a tetraploid with activetransposons and there are a number of different visible phenotypesincluding foliage color, leaf shape and size, plant height, time toflowering and growth habit.

The coleus breeding program at the University of Florida in Gainesville,Fla. was initiated in 2003 with an emphasis on developing new clonallypropagated cultivars that are profitable for producers and perform wellin consumer gardens with little or no care. Using recurrent massselection and maintaining a large pool of germplasm our program hasreleased a number of cultivars into the industry over the past decade.The coleus breeding program has focused on screening for new cultivarswith novel leaf colors and shapes, increased vigor and branching, andlate flowering, by conducting greenhouse and field trials underdemanding environmental conditions. Greenhouse trials under “lush”conditions that push the plants to grow as fast as possible with highamounts of light, high fertility and high temperatures are used becausethese conditions allow for rapid discernment of growth habits and vigorcharacteristics, and also facilitate observation of plant phenotypesunder conditions where greenhouse pathogen and insect pressure ishighest. Field trials at Citra, Fla. are planted in full sun in sandbeds with plastic mulch in May each year with drip irrigation and aminimal amount of slow-release fertilizer added at planting. Fieldtrials at Gainesville, Fla. are planted in 30% shade in sand beds in Mayeach year with drip irrigation and a minimal amount of slow-releasefertilizer added at planting. These “lean” growing conditions are usedin the field trials to screen for plants that grow vigorously andconsistently for minimalist gardeners. Coleus produces a better seedcrop under “lean” conditions than “lush” conditions, which is useful formaking open-pollinated seeds. Since data is collected on a large numberof genotypes (˜600-800 per year), each trial only contains 1-3 plantsper genotype. If a genotype performs poorly in any trial it isautomatically discarded from the program, leaving ˜200-250 genotypes inthe program as elite stock at the end of each year.

Desirable characteristics that continue to be in demand a decade afterfirst commercial introductions are: (1) foliage color stability in sunand shade; (2) consistent well-branched plant habit; and (3) lateflowering. Improved plants with interesting foliage colors in both fullsun and shade conditions allow for more versatile garden use and morecolor choices for gardeners. Superior well-branched plant habit isimportant throughout the production chain from the propagator/grower tothe consumer, which allows for production of a large number ofvegetative propagules and translates into more manageable plants forproducers during culture and shipping to retail outlets. Once planted inthe garden, these well-branched plants require less management over along season of growth. Late flowering is a desirable characteristicbecause early flowering triggers senescence of the lower leaves anddecreases foliage quality of coleus. Floral induction often slowsvegetative growth, and increases landscape maintenance with manualdead-heading and plant replacement, which is vital to landscapecontractors. Late or ‘no flowering’ genotypes with good branching andstable foliage color that have been developed at UF have performed wellin commercial markets, and continue to attract interest from U.S.,European and Asian gardeners. The UF genotypes disclosed herein wereselected because they have many of these desirable traits.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of coleus plantnamed ‘UF17-64-1’. ‘UF17-64-1’ originated from an open pollinationconducted in May-November 2016 in Gainesville, Fla. between the femalecoleus plant ‘UF16-67-14’ (unpatented) and an unknown male coleus plant.A single seedling was chosen in May 2017 for further asexual propagationin Gainesville, Fla. FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of ‘UF17-64-1’.

‘UF17-64-1’ has been reproduced asexually for over 18 months throughvegetative cuttings and has been found to retain its distinctivecharacteristics through successive asexual propagations. ‘UF17-64-1’ wasfirst propagated asexually by meristem tip cuttings in May 2017 inGainesville, Fla., and has remained true-to-type since that time.

The new coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’ has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar mayvary with variations in environment and cultural practices such astemperature, light intensity, fertilization, irrigation, and applicationof plant growth regulators without any change in genotype.

‘UF17-64-1’ was selected based on several visual characteristics. Thefollowing traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to bethe unique characteristics of the new coleus cultivar. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘UF17-64-1’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of coleus:

-   -   1. vigorous growth with large leaves and a very consistent and        well-branched plant habit when grown from vegetative propagules        as a stock plant, thus providing ample vegetative propagules for        producers;    -   2. excellent heat tolerance;    -   3. foliage color is a rich crimson color with no other markings,        which is an extremely rare trait for red coleus plants; and    -   4. very consistent plant growth in both sun and shade conditions        in Gainesville, Fla. and Citra, Fla.;    -   5. ‘UF17-64-1’ has not been observed to set flowers or seeds        under trailing protocols, and has been observed to have        long-season performance in landscape trials in Gainesville, Fla.

Plant of the new coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’ differ from plants of thefemale parent, ‘UF16-67-14’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. ‘UF17-64-1’ has large leaves that are purely crimson in color        with no markings, whereas the female parent ‘UF16-67-14’ has        smaller leaves that are colored maroon and lime green; and    -   2. ‘UF17-64-1’ has a robust, well-branched mounded habit,        whereas ‘UF16-67-14’ is slightly less vigorous and more upright        in habit.

Plants of the new coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’ are similar to those ofcommercial coleus cultivar ‘UF0646’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,585);however, ‘UF17-64-1’ has a spreading plant form, whereas ‘UF0646’ has amore upright plant form. Additionally, ‘UF17-64-1’ has an upper-surfaceleaf coloration of RHS 185A (Deep Red), whereas ‘UF0646’ has anupper-surface leaf coloration of RHS 46C (Red).

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying photographs (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) illustrate theoverall appearance of the new coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’. Thesephotographs show the colors as true as can be reasonably obtained incolored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription, which accurately describe the colors of the new coleuscultivar.

FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of ‘UF17-64-1’;

FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of a nine-week-oldplant of the new coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’; and

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the foliage of a nine-week-old plant ofthe new coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of the new coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’ when grown undernormal horticultural practices in Gainesville, Fla. and Citra, Fla.‘UF17-64-1’ has the combination of vigorous, compact upright growthhabit, excellent heat tolerance, and crimson colored leaves that aresignificantly different than other coleus plant. It has superiorstability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions, maintainingstable color in all conditions.

-   Botanical description:    -   -   Botanical classification.—Family: Lamiaceae. Botanical name:            Plectranthus scutellarioides.Common name: Coleus. Cultivar:            ‘UF17-64-1’.        -   Parentage.—Female or seed parent: Coleus cultivar            ‘UF16-67-14’. Male or pollen parent: Unknown (open            pollination was used).        -   Propagation.—Type: Cuttings; vegetative meristems having at            least 1 node. Time to initiate roots: Approximately 3-4            days. Time to develop roots: Approximately 7-10 days.        -   Root description.—Root habit: Fibrous. Root description:            Callus forms in approximately 2-3 days, roots initiate in            approximately 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting            in approximately 7-10 days.        -   Plant description.—Plant form: Spreading. Growth habit:            Upright. Plant height (from top of soil): Approximately            24-26 cm. Plant diameter (horizontal plant diameter):            Approximately 50-55 cm. Branches: Quantity per plant:            Approximately 7-8. Color: RHS N79B. Texture: Smooth.            Pubescence: Not present. Stem description: Square-shaped            stem, approximately 0.7 cm in diameter at the soil line.            Branch diameter: Approximately 0.6-0.7 cm at the base of a            22-cm-long branch. Branch length: Approximately 21-23 cm.            Internode length: Approximately 2-3 cm. Anthocyanin: RHS            N79B.        -   Foliage description.—Quantity of leaves per branch:            Approximately 17-19. Arrangement: Opposite. Fragrance: Not            fragrant. Shape: Ovate. Length: Approximately 13-14 cm.            Width: Approximately 9-10 cm. Apex: Broadly acuminate. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Crenate. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth. Pubescence color (both surfaces): Not            present. Venation pattern: Upper surface: Arcuate. Lower            surface: Reticulate. Color of veins: Upper surface: RHS 59B.            Lower surface: RHS 187B. Color: Immature leaf: Upper            surface: RHS 185A. Lower surface: RHS 187B. Mature leaf:            Upper surface: RHS 185A. Lower surface: RHS 187B. Petiole:            Length: Approximately 3-4 cm. Diameter: Approximately            0.2-0.3 cm. Color: RHS 187B. Texture: Smooth, no pubescence.        -   Flowers and seeds.—Flowers and seeds have not been observed            to date during formal trials in Gainesville, Fla.        -   Fruit.—Fruit has not been observed to date during formal            trials in Gainesville, Fla.        -   Disease and insect resistance.—Disease and insect resistance            of the coleus cultivar ‘UF17-64-1’ is typical of the            species, and therefore no claims are made herein of any            superior disease or insect resistance The most commonly            observed insect pests on this species in Gainesville, Fla.            have been long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus            sp.), which occur on older stock plant material held in the            greenhouse for over three to four months. Impatiens Necrotic            Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been observed in plants            confined in greenhouses with mixed crops (peppers) infected            with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). The            most common pathogen of this species in the United States is            downy mildew (Peronospora lamii), which has been observed in            stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing            seasons.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Plectranthus scutellarioides (coleus)plant named ‘UF17-64-1’ as shown and described herein.